Welfare of dairy cow in continuously housed and pasture-based production systems

Abstract

The {aim of this study|purpose of this study|objective of this research|goal of this study} was to {assess the effect|determine the impact|evaluate the effects|examine the impact} of{ the|} {housing systems|different housing arrangements|dwelling systems|houses} (loose vs tie-stall) on the welfare of dairy {cows and|cows as well as|cows , and|cattle and} to {test the hypothesis|verify the notion} that dairy {cows in|cows living in|cows with|cattle in} loose housing systems {have a|enjoy|are of|have} {better welfare quality|higher welfare standard|better quality of life|superior welfare rating} than those{ kept|| who are kept| that are housed} in tie-stalls. 

{Sixty commercial dairy farms|60 commercial farms|A total of sixty commercial dairy farms|Sixty dairy farms that are commercially owned} (30 with loose {and|housing and|housing systems and|housing, and} 30 with {tie-stall housing system|tie-stall housing systems|tie-stall-style housing|tie-stall housing}) were {selected for evaluation|chosen for evaluation|selected to be evaluated|chosen to evaluate}{, using mainly animal-based measures| using mostly animal-based metrics| using mostly animal-based indicators| with a focus on animal-based measurements}

{, as the applied| in the manner that the| according to the| and as per the} Welfare Quality ^(r) protocol {allows|permits} it. A total{ number|} of 2624 milking {cows were assessed|cows were evaluated|cows was evaluated|cattle were assessed} {in the winter period|during the winter time|in the winter months|in the winter season}. There were {significant|notable|substantial|some significant} {differences between the two|distinctions between two|variations between both|difference between these two} {housing systems|systems of housing} {for the majority of the|

in the majority of} {parameters within|factors within|aspects of|variables within} the four {welfare principles|principles of welfare}. {Significant differences were also found|There were significant differences|The two systems also had significant differences|Also, there were notable differences} {in terms of the mean|regarding the average|in the mean|with regard to the mean} {scores of the welfare criteria|score of welfare standards|values of each of the criteria|results of these criteria} {and principles|and guidelines|and the principles|as well as the basic principles}{, with the majority pointing| 

and the majority of them pointing| which showed the majority of people pointing| in which the majority pointed} {out the loose system as|that the loose system was|to the loose system as|the loose one as} {better|superior|more favorable}. Based on the {scores|results} of the four {principles,|principles|fundamentals,|principle,} {most of the farms with|most farms with|

majority of farms with|the majority of farms that had} {loose housing|houses that were loose|homes that are loose|open housing} were {classified as enhanced|classified as improved|classified as better|categorized as higher}{, while| and| while} {the majority of the|the majority of|most} tie-stall farms were {acceptable|considered acceptable|

deemed acceptable|in the acceptable range}. The {results show that the|results indicate that the|results reveal that the|findings show that} welfare{ quality|} {of dairy cows|for dairy cattle|that dairy cows enjoy|in dairy animals} is {greatly|heavily|significantly} {influenced by|affected by|dependent on} the housing system{, and| and|. It also shows|. This means}

{that the loose|that a loose|that a loose housing|the loose} system is {more advantageous|better|superior|more beneficial} {when it comes to the|in terms of|in regards to the|with regards to} {feeding, housing and behaviour|diet, housing, and behavior|food, housing and behavior|eating, housing and behaviour} {of the dairy cow|that dairy cattle|for the cows that milk it|and behaviour of dairy animals}.

Introduction

{As defined by|According to} Broom{, the welfare of| The welfare of| the term “welfare” means that| the concept of welfare by Broom, the wellbeing of} an individual {is its state|refers to its condition|is the state it has|is his or her state} {as regards its attempts|in relation to its efforts|with regard to how it attempts|when it comes to the way in which it attempts} to 

{cope with its environment|live in a secluded environment|adapt to its surroundings|deal with its surroundings} (Broom{,|} 1986). In this {sense, welfare|way, the concept of welfare|sense, it is clear that welfare|regard, welfare} is {a characteristic of the|a characteristic of an|a quality of the|an attribute of the} animal{, not something that is| and not something that is| 

and is not something| which is not} {given|granted|handed|provided} to it (Broom{,|} 1991). If {one were to compare|we compare|one compares} the dairy industry {to|with} an {open physical system,|open physical system|open system of physical systems,|open-ended physical system,} {there are only a|it is a|the dairy industry has only|you will find only} {few|handful

of} {major|important|significant|essential} inputs (elements {provided by the farmer|that are provided by the farmer|offered by the farmer|supplied by the farmers} to{ the|} dairy cows){: housing, feeding| including housing, food| such as housing, nutrition| that include housing, feeding} (including {watering|drinking|the watering|irrigation}) {and human handling|as well as human-handling|along with human hand-holding|in addition to human interaction}. The {farm management chooses the|management of the farm

chooses|farm management selects the|management of the farm decides on the} {elements of these,|components of these|aspects of these|parts of these,} {according to the possibilities|in accordance with the capabilities|depending on the needs|depending on the options} of the farmer {and|as well as} {the perceived needs of|the needs that are perceived by|the requirements of|their perception of the needs of} the animals. The {outcomes are all the|results are all the|result is all the|outcomes include all} 

{characteristics of the cows that|traits of the cows that|characteristics of the cattle that|aspects of the cows which} {are influenced by the|are affected by the|are influenced by|can be affected by the} inputs{: the productive and reproductive| that affect reproductive and productive| including reproductive and productive| such as reproductive and productive} performance, {the physical health|physical health|physical|as well as the physical} {and mental wellbeing; essentially|and mental well-being; in essence|and mental health; and primarily|as well as mental wellbeing, which is essentially} the {production and welfare

|welfare and production} {of the cows|of cows|that the animals|for the cattle}. It has been {shown|proven|demonstrated|observed} that {the interactions between production|the interplay between the production|the interactions between the production|interactions between the production} {system and management can|management and the system can|management and system can|management and the system could} {lead to large variations in|result in large differences between|cause large variances in|create large variations in} herds{ with regard to| in relation to|‘|‘

performance in terms of} {animal welfare|the welfare of animals} (Sandoe et al.{,|} 1997) {so that|which means that|and|thus} the {housing type constitutes|type of housing is|kind of housing used is|type of housing utilized is} an important {element of influence|factor in influencing|aspect of influence|element that influences}. {Thus, it becomes clear|It is evident|This means|Therefore, it is clear} that the {different|various|diverse|many} {aspects, elements, facilities|elements, components, facilities|aspects, elements,|elements, aspects, facilities} and {equipments of|equipments in|devices of|other equipments that comprise} the {housing environment may influence|living environment can affect|environment of housing can influence|house environment could affect} the {ability of the animal|capacity of animals|animal’s ability|capacity of the animal} to {cope with|deal with|manage|handle} {it|the environment}. For {example, the number|

instance, the quantity|instance, the size|example, the amount}{, design and placement| the design, layout and location| or design| designs, the layout, and design} of {the feeding and drinking|drinking and feeding|drinking and food|the drinking and eating} facilities {may influence the activities|can affect the behavior|could affect the behaviour|could influence the actions} of{ the|} {cattle|livestock|animals} (food {and water intake|as well as water consumption|or water intake|and intake of water}) {but also|as well as} their social {behaviour and the|behavior and|behavior as well as the|behaviour as well as

the} {occurrence|incidence|possibility|presence} {of physical injuries|in the form of injuries to their bodies|injury to the body|for physical injury} (Rousing et al.{,|} 2000). {Many different variations|There are many different types|Numerous variations|A variety of different forms} of {cattle housing exist,|cattle housing are available,|housing for cattle exist,|cattle housing exist} {but most of these|however, the majority of them|but the majority|however the majority of them} {can be included in|are classified into|can be classified into|can be classified in} two {major categories,|main categories,|broad categories|categories,} {according to the confinement degree|depending on the degree of confinement|in accordance with the degree of confinement|according to the confinement level} {of the cows:|that cows are in:|for the cattle:|of cows.}{ the|} loose or {the tie-stall housing|tie-stall housing|tie-stall} system. The {advantages and disadvantages|benefits and drawbacks} of {both of these|both|both systems|each} {and their effects|and their impact|as well as their effect|and their impacts} on the {health and behaviour|behavior and health|overall health and behavior|health and behavior} of{ the|} dairy cows {have been extensively|have been thoroughly|are being thoroughly|have been meticulously} {studied|examined|researched|investigated}. {Thus, compared to the|So, in comparison to|Therefore, when compared to|In comparison to} more traditional {tie-stall systems,|tie-stall systems|tie-stall system,|tie-stalls,} loose housing {comes with|has|offers} {the advantage of better|the benefit of improved|the advantages of better|an advantage of better} udder health (Hultgren{,|} 2002{;| and|} Regula {et al|and al|et al}., 2004){, lower risk| and a lower risk| as well as a lower chance| Also, a lower risk} of ketosis{ and better|, and higher| as well as better| and improved} {fertility|fertileness|productivity|quality of life} (Valde et al.{,|} 1997){, generally being| generally} {accepted by welfare scientists|recognized by welfare experts|acknowledged by welfare researchers|considered by welfare experts} as having {a superior|the|a better|the best} {potential for higher|chance of ensuring better|possibility of better|capacity for better} animal {welfare|well-being|wellbeing} (Rousing et al.{,|} 2000). {Loose housing systems, nevertheless|However, loose housing systems|The loose housing systems, however|But, these systems of housing, although loose}{, have the disadvantage of| are not without disadvantages, including| they have the disadvantage of| come with the drawback of} {a higher risk of lameness|having a higher chance of being lame|the higher risk of lameness|an increased risk of lameness} (Cook{,|} 2003; Sogstad et al., 2005). There is {some evidence that|evidence to suggest that|evidence that|some evidence to suggest that} {loose-housing|housing that is loose|the use of loose housing|living in loose houses} (Weary and Taszkun{,|} 2000) {and regular outdoor exercise|and regular outdoor exercises|as well as regular outdoor exercise|and regular outdoor activity} (Gustafson{,|} 1993{;| and|} Regula {et al|and others|and co|and al}., 2004) {have positive effects on|can improve|are beneficial to|can have beneficial effects on} the {health and welfare|well-being and health|overall health and well-being|wellbeing and health} {of dairy cows|dairy cattle|of milk cows|that dairy cows enjoy}. {Yet, fewer studies were|However, there were fewer studies|But, less research was|But, few studies were} {conducted on the overall|done on the overall|carried out on the general|conducted to determine the general} welfare of{ the|} dairy cows {in different|under different|living in various} {housing|living} conditions.

The {aim of this study|purpose of this study|objective of this research|goal of this study} was to {assess the effect|determine the impact|evaluate the effects|examine the impact} {of the housing system|on the system of housing|that the type of housing|in the structure of housing} (loose vs tie-stall) on{ the|} dairy cows’ {welfare and|welfare as well as|health and|well-being and} to {test the hypothesis|examine the possibility|verify the theory|investigate the idea} that dairy cows {in|living in a|who live in a|with} loose housing {system have a|systems have|have} {better welfare quality|higher welfare|higher quality of welfare|better quality of life} {than those kept|than those|than those who are kept|as compared to those that are housed} in tie-stalls.

Materials and methods

The farms

The study was {conducted in|conducted on|carried out in} 60 {selected commercial dairy farms|dairy farms that were selected for commercial use|commercial dairy farms} (mean +- {sd|SD|Sd}, 84+-36.2 lactating cows){,|} {30 with tie stalls|thirty tie-stalls|30 using tie stalls|30 with tie-stalls} (mean +- {sd|SD|Sd|the sd}, 70+-30.5 lactating cows) and 30 with {loose|a loose} housing {system|systems} (mean {+- sd|+-SD}{,|} 98+-36.7 {lactating cows|dairy cows lactating|milking cows|lactating cattle}){, from| located in| The cows were from| and 30 with loose housing system, both from} Transylvania, Romania. The {selection criteria were:|criteria for selection were|criteria used to select farms were|criteria for selecting farms were} {management practices, farm size|the management practices of the farm, its size|farming practices, size of the farm|Management practices, farm size}{, veterinary records and agreement| as well as veterinary records and the consent|, veterinary records , and the agreement| along with veterinary records and the approval} {of the farmers to take|by the farmers to take|of the farmers taking|from the farm owners to take} {part in the study|part in the study}.

In both {the loose and tied|tie and loose|the tie- and loose|the tied and loose} housing systems, {the cattle|the most popular cattle|the main cattle|cattle} breeds {were|included|used were} Holstein (30{%| percent}) {and|as well as|in both systems, and|along with} Romanian Spotted Cattle (70%). The {mean milk production|average milk production|average production of milk|average amount of milk produced} per cow {per year in|in|over the course of a year on|for the year on} the farms {with|that had} {loose housing systems|open housing structures|the loose systems of housing|homes that were loose} (LHS) {was|is|were|included} 5089.2 kg{, and in those| while in the ones| and for those| as opposed to those} {with tie-stall housing systems|that had tie-stall systems for housing|which had tie-stall-based housing|equipped with tie-stalls housing} (THS) 5197.0 {kg|kilograms|tonnes|grams}. {All the tie-stall farms were|All tie-stall farms were|All tie-stall farms are|The tie-stalls of all farms were} {closed, with solid flooring|closedand had solid flooring|closedand had flooring that was solid|enclosed, with solid floors}. The cows were {kept on|housed in|kept in} {stalls with length between|stalls that had lengths between|stalls that measured between|the stalls which had a length of} {160 cm and 250 cm|160cm and 250cm|160 cm to 250 cm}{, and width| and widths| and width| in width, and a width of} between {85 cm|85|85cm} and {190 cm|the 190cm|90 cm to 190 cm|193 cm}. In {90% of the|the majority of|90% of} tie-stall farms{ bedding was used|, bedding was used|, bedding was utilized|, bedding was employed} (straw or sawdust) in {small quantity|small quantities|small amounts|a small amount} (1.5 {kg/head/day or|kg./head./day, or|kg/head/day and} less). The cows {had access to|were able to|could|had access} {exercise|exercises|exercising|workout facilities} (pasture or paddock) in 13 tie-stall farms. The cows {were pasturing|were grazing|grazed|would pasture} {on average|in the average of|at an average} 10.6 hours {a day|per day,} {for 182 days a year|for 182 days of the year|throughout the year, 182 days|during 182 days}. {The milking was done|The milking process was either|The milking was performed|Milking was carried out} {manually|by hand|in a manual manner|mechanically} (six farms) or mechanically (24 farms){, in| and in| within| inside} the barns. The farms {with loose system|that had loose systems} (LHS) were {both closed and half-opened|partially and fully open|fully- and partially-opened|completely closed, as well as half-opened}{, having| with| and had} {cubicles|cubbies|the cubicles|cabins} (22 farms) or straw yards (eight farms) {for the cows’|to allow the cows} rest. In the majority{ of the| of|} free-stall barns{, sawdust bedding was used| the bedding was made of sawdust| there was a sawdust bedding| it was used as a bedding made from sawdust}. {The milking|Milking|It was the case that milking|In the past, milking} (automatic) was {done|performed|carried out} in {milking parlours, twice|milking parlours twice|parlours for milking, twice|milking parlourstwo times} {per day|every day|each day|daily}. In the {warm season|summer|warmer months|summer months}{, the cows were pasturing| the cows would be pasturing| the cows were grazing| the cows would go for a walk} {in five of the|on five} farms (on average{ 8 hours a|, 8 hours per|, 8 hours a} day, 192 {days a|days per|times a|days of the} year). {Each farm was|Every farm|The farms were|All farms} visited{ once|} {in the winter months,|during winter,|in winter,|during the winter months} {when the cows were housed|where the cows were kept|in which the cows were sheltered|during which time the cows were kept}.

{Welfare assessment|Assessment of welfare|Evaluation of the welfare|Assessment of wellbeing}

The {basis and reference|foundation and|base and the reference} {material for the welfare assessment|information for the assessment of welfare|source for the welfare assessment|information used to assess the welfare} of the cows {in|involved in} this {study was the Welfare Quality|research was the Welfare Quality|investigation was the Welfare Quality|case was the welfare quality} ^(r) Assessment Protocol for Cattle (Welfare Quality Consortium{,|} 2009). Two {trained assessors evaluated|assessors who were trained evaluated|experienced assessors assessed|certified assessors evaluated} the {cows in|cows on|cows of|animals in} each farm. {The assessors, experienced|The assessorsare experienced|The assessors, who are skilled|They are experts} in {cows’ welfare evaluation|the evaluation of cows’ welfare|evaluating the welfare of cows|the evaluation of the welfare of cows}{, have used the assessment| and assessment, had used the| as well as the assessment| utilized the assessment} {protocol before this study,|protocol prior to this study|procedure prior to the study} {in four farms with|in four farms that had|on four farms with|at four farms using} {different housing systems|two different systems of housing|distinct housing structures|various housing arrangements} (LHS {and|as well as} THS){, having| with| and| which had} {smaller numbers of|less} animals (50 cows{ on average| in total|, on average}{, data not included in| but not in| and not included in| which was not taken into} {this study|the present study|this research|this investigation}). The {training was finalised|training was completed|course was concluded|training was approved} {when an inter- and|after an inter- and|when an inter-and|by ensuring an inter and} intra-observer {agreement of at least|consensus of at least|agreement of at minimum|agrement of} {80% was reached|80percent was achieved|90% was reached|80per cent was reached} {for each measure of|for each of the measures in|for every measure of|on each aspect of} the protocol. {A total number of|The total number of|There were|A total of} 2624 {milking cows|cows that milked|dairy cows|milking cattle} (1205 cows {in farms with|in farms that have|from farms with} THS {and 1419 cows|as well as 1419 cattle|in farms with THS and 1419 calves|or 1419 in the farms} {in farms with|from farms with|in farms that have|that were in farms with} LHS) were {evaluated;|analyzed;|assessed;|assessed.} {their number in|the number of cows in|their numbers in|their total number for} each farm was {established|determined|calculated|set} {according to the instructions|in accordance with the guidelines|as per the requirements|according to the specifications} {of|in|from|for} the Welfare Quality assessment protocol. {This protocol includes four major|The protocol consists of four main|This protocol contains four major|The protocol comprises four major} {welfare principles|principles of welfare|guidelines for welfare|concepts of welfare}{, 12 criteria and| including 12 criteria and| as well as 12 criteria and| along with 12 criteria as well as} 29 {measures|indicators|criteria|metrics} (Table {1|1.}). The {validity, feasibility|reliability, validity,|feasibility, validity|reliability, efficacy} and {repeatability|reliability} of the welfare {measures recorded|measures analyzed|measures documented|indicators recorded} {were established in previous studies|have been proven in earlier studies|were proven in prior studies|were confirmed in previous research} (Knierim and Winckler{,|} 2009).

{To avoid disturbing the farming|To ensure that the farm activities are not disrupted|To prevent disturbing farming|In order to not interfere with farming} {activities and to conduct|activities and to carry out|activities and conduct|operations and to ensure that} the {assessment without interruption|evaluation without interruption|examination without interruptions|evaluation in a non-stop manner}{, prior| Prior| the prior| prior} arrangements were {made|agreed upon} with {each animal unit’s manager|the manager of each animal unit|the animal unit’s managers|each unit’s manager}{, regarding the| on the| concerning the time,| to determine the} {date, hour and estimated|dates, hours and approximate|timing, date, and|day, time and estimated} {duration of the farm visits|time of the farm visits|duration of farm visits|duration of the visits to the farm}. {Also, the farm visits|Additionally, the farm visits|The farm visits|In addition, the visits to the farms} were {planned so that|scheduled so that|planned to ensure that|scheduled to take place} at {least four weeks passed|least four weeks had passed|the least four weeks had passed} {from the last|between the last|from the previous|from the end of the} {hoof trimming session|trim session of hoofs|cutting of the hoof|cut of the hoof} (for {a relevant lameness evaluation|an appropriate lameness assessment|an appropriate evaluation of lameness|an appropriate lameness test}). The {general investigation of|overall inspection of|investigation of all|entire investigation of} the farms {took place|was conducted} {during the morning milking of|in the morning when milking was conducted for} the cows. {Taking into account|In consideration of|Based on|With regard to} the {total number of the|number of|total amount of|total number of} milked cows {in|on|at} the farm, {as recommended|as suggested|as per the guidelines|in accordance with the recommendations} {by the assessment protocol,|by the assessment protocols,|in the assessment protocol|by the assessment procedure,} {a random selection of|an random selection of|random selection of the|an unintentional selection of} animals {took place|was made|was conducted|was carried out} (every {nth cow|one of the nth cows|Nth cow|an nth cow that is} {in the milking parlour in|in the milking parlour of|within the milking parlour at|inside the milking parlours of} the LHS farms{ or every nth|, or every nth|, or each nth| or each} cow {in a row in|that is in a row within|within a row in|in a row of} {the|THS farms).|one row in the|those of the} THS farms). The {selected animals were marked|chosen animals were identified|animals selected were marked|selected animals were identified} {with an animal marker,|by an animal marker|with an animal marker} and{ then|} {the same cows were assessed|the same cows were evaluated|the same cows were analyzed|those same cows were tested} {for the scoring of|to determine the score of|for scoring on|for scoring} {all measures, where|every measure, in cases where|the various measures, where|each measure, for which} random sampling was {required|needed|necessary|the only requirement}.

{Statistical analysis|Analysis of statistics|Analyzing statistical data|The statistical analysis}

{All statistical analyses were|The statistical analysis was|Each statistical study was|Every statistical evaluation was} {performed|conducted|carried out|done} {using|with} SPSS {for|to|with|in} Windows {version 17|Version 17|version 17.} (SPSS {Inc|Inc}., Chicago, IL, USA). Descriptive {statistical indicators were determined|indicators of statistical significance were identified} (mean{, standard error| and standard error| range, standard error| average, standard deviation} of {the mean, median,|the mean, median, and|the median, mean,|the mean, medianand} range) for {the 29 assessed|29 assessed|the 29 analyzed|29 of the assessed} {measures, for|indicators, based on|measures, as well as|variables, for} {the scores of the 11|the results of the 11|the scores of the eleven|scoring the 11} criteria{: absence of prolonged hunger| that included: absence of prolonged hunger| for the absence of prolonged hunger| such as absence of prolonged hungry} (APH){, absence| and absence| or absence| (absence} of {prolonged|persistent|excessive} thirst (APT){, comfort around| and comfort at| Comfort around| as well as comfort while} resting (CAR){, ease of| and ease of| as well as ease of| easy} {movement|moving} (EM){,|| and| (EM),} {absence of injuries|the absence of injury|lack of injuries|no injuries} (AI){,| and| as well as| (AI),} absence of {diseases|disease|illness|illnesses} (AD){, absence of| and absence of| as well as absence of| (AD)} {pain induced by management|the pain caused by management|discomfort caused by treatment|suffering caused by medical} procedures (APIMP){,| and| as well as| (APIMP),} expression of social {behaviours|behavior} (ESB){,| and| as well as| or} expression of other {behaviours|behaviors|behavior} (EOB){, good| and a good| Good| as well as a healthy} human-animal {relationship|relations|bond|relation} (GHAR){,| and| as well as} {positive emotional state|positively emotional status|the positive state of mind|Positive Emotional State} (PES) {and for the scores of the four welfare principles|as well as for scores on the 4 welfare principals|in addition to the score of four principles for welfare|along with the results of the welfare four standards} (good {feeding, good|food, healthy|eating, good|nutrition, good} housing{, good health, appropriate| healthy, good health, and appropriate| good health, appropriate| as well as good health and} {behaviour|behavior}) {in the farms with|in the farms that had|on farms with|in farms with} LHS {and|as well as|in addition to|along with} THS. The {statistical significance|significance of the statistical analysis} of the {housing system’s effect|effect of housing|impact of the housing system|effects of housing} on {welfare|the welfare} (measures{, criteria and principles| of welfare, criteria and the principles| that measure, criteria, and principles| guidelines, standards and concepts} of welfare) {in the studied farms|in the farms studied|on the farms that were studied|in the farms examined} was {determined by|assessed using|established using|ascertained by} {the|testing the|an analysis using the|tests such as the} {t|test of t|the t|tests of the}-test {or the Mann-Whitney|as well as the Mann-Whitney|and the Mann-Whitney|either the MannWhitney} {test, depending|testbased|Test, based|test, based} {on the normal|upon the regular|of the normative|on normal} or {abnormal distribution of the|irregular distribution of the|abnormal distribution of} {data, established with|results, as determined by|data, determined using|information, which was determined by} {the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test|the Kolmogorov Smirnov test|The Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test|an analysis of Kolmogorov and Smirnov}. {P values less|Values of p less|P values that were less|A P value less} {than|that|then|of} 0.05 were considered{ as| to be|} significant.

{Results and discussion|Discussion and results}

{Animal based measures of good|Measures based on animals of good|Animal-based measures of quality|Animal-based indicators of healthy} {feeding, housing and|nutrition, housing and|food, housing, and overall|eating, housing, and} health

Table 2 {comparatively presents|presents|compares|provides a comparative overview of} the descriptive {statistical indicators|statistics indicators|indicators of statistics} (mean{,| and| range,| as well as the} {standard error of the|average error,|normal error and range of|median and standard deviation of} {mean, median|median, mean} and {range|the range}) of {the animal-based measures|animal-based measures|the measures based on animals|measures that are based on animals} {for the principles of good|to assess the fundamentals of good|for the requirements of good|for the main principles of healthy} {feeding, housing and|nutrition, housing and|food, housing, and|eating, housing, and overall} health{, assessed in the| that are assessed in|, as measured in|, which are evaluated in} {loose and tie-stall|tie-stall and loose|tie-stall and loose-stall|tie-stall as well as loose} farms. {Significant differences were found|There were significant differences|Significant differences were observed|There were notable differences} between {the two housing systems,|the two housing systems|the two housing options,|both housing systems} {for 14 out of|for 14 of the|in 14 out of|with 14 out of} 21 {parameters|variables}. The {analysis of the results|study} {shows some advantages|highlights the advantages|suggests some advantages|provides some benefits} of the {loose housing|more loose housing system|housing that is loose|open housing} for {the dairy cows|dairy cows}.

{No|There was no} significant {difference|distinction|differences|variation} (P>0.05) {between|in the two systems|among|Between} LHS {and|or|as well as|in comparison to} THS was {found|observed|detected|seen} in the {mean percentage|average percentage|percentage|average proportion} of {very thin cows,|cows with very thin skin,|extremely thin cows|very thin cows} {although it was slightly|however, it was|though it was slightly|but it was slightly} {higher in the farms with|higher in farms that had|more in the farms that have|greater in the farms with} LHS. In both systems{ the percentage|, the proportion|, the percentage|, the percent} of {very thin cows|cows that were extremely thin|extremely thin cows} was higher than {that obtained|the one recorded|that found|what was found} by Regula {et al|and co}. (2004) in {loose and tie-stall farms|tie-stall and loose farms|tie-stall and loose-stall farms|tie-stall and loose farm systems} in Switzerland {and by Ostojic-Andric|and Ostojic-Andric|as well as by Ostojic-Andric|and by Ostojic} {et al|and others}. (2011) in Serbia. {Besides the fact that the|In addition to the fact that|Apart from the fact that|Alongside the fact that} {cows loose weight because of|cows lose weight due to|cows are losing weight due to|cattle lose weight due} the {inadequate|poor|insufficient|low} {quality and quantity of the|quantity and quality of the|quantity and quality of|amount and quality of} feed{, in| and feed, in| as well as the lack of quality and quantity of feed in| In} LHS {often the feed-front is|frequently the feed-front is|typically, the feed-front is|most of the time the feed-fronts are} too {short for the|small for|small to allow|short to accommodate the} {simultaneous feeding of all|continuous feeding|feed of the entire|concurrent feeding}{ of|} {the animals|livestock|these animals|those animals} (Estevez et al.{,|} 2007). {Also, the lame cows|Additionally, the cows with lameness|In addition, the cows that are lame|The lame cows} {spend less time in feeding|are less active in feeding|have less time to feed|consume less food} (Gomez and Cook{,|} 2010). The {high percentage of the|large proportion of|high proportion of} {lame cows in|lazy cows found in|lacy cows that are found within|poor cows of} LHS {may|could} be one {of the causes|of the reasons|reason|of the main causes} {of the high number|of the large number|of the excessive number|for the high percentage} of {thin cows|cows that are thin|cows with thin skin}.